RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 350
CURRENT ADP: ~386 overall
ANALYSIS: Duran torched Triple-A last year and wound up getting the call to make his MLB debut in mid-July. He went on to disappoint over 33 games in the majors, slashing .215/.241/.336 with two home runs. However, fantasy managers shouldn’t be discouraged by that small sample size. Duran has the ability to be a contributor in a number of stats for fantasy managers as soon as this year and if things all go right for him, he could be one of the biggest steals at the end of your draft.
Duran spent the bulk of last year in the minors. Over 60 Triple-A games in 2021, he hit 16 home runs, absolutely shattering his home run pace in the minors in 2018 and 2019. That stretch at Triple-A last year was full confirmation that he had rounded out his game for both real-life and fantasy purposes. While Duran’s power breakout came late in his minor league career, his speed on the base paths was on display from the very start. He stole 24 bases in 2018, then snagged a whopping 46 bases in 2019. There was no question that Duran was running the base paths at an elite speed during his time with the Red Sox last year. His average sprint speed of 29.3 feet/second-ranked is in the 96th percentile. For comparison purposes, Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Myles Straw clocked in at the same exact speed and that duo combined for 55 stolen bases over 268 games in 2021.
If you’re going into the late rounds of your draft and you need a sure thing outfield starter, then Duran may not be as solid of a pick as someone like Jeff McNeil or Randal Grichuk, but if you’re looking for a late-round shoot-for-the-stars type of pick, Duran has that potential. He has the skill set to be a fantasy stud and he’s going to be hitting in a hitter-friendly ballpark amidst a strong Red Sox lineup. Additionally, keep in mind that he’s particularly enticing in rotisserie and head-to-head categories leagues where he could be a big difference-maker in stolen bases.
More Fantasy Baseball Values and Sleepers
Shane Baz - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Stash in Deeper Leagues CALL-UP ETA: June ANALYSIS: One of our favorite pitching prospects is Shane Baz. Depending on where you look, Baz has graduated off lists that use service time, but he's still under the 50-inning threshold and worthy of discussing in an article such as this. After missing all of 2023 due... Read More
Alex Lange - Closers and Saves Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 44% of Leagues ANALYSIS: After recording 26 saves for the Detroit Tigers in 2023 as the team's primary closer, Alex Lange was expected to be the team's closer heading into 2024. A somewhat rough spring for Lange prompted manager A.J. Hinch to use Jason Foley in the... Read More
Joe Kelly - Closers and Saves Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Analysis (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-14+ Team Leagues / NL-Only Leagues ROSTERED IN: 3% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Los Angeles Dodgers closer Evan Phillips (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with a Grade 1 hamstring injury. Although Phillips is expected to remain sidelined only for a minimum stint, several save opportunities will now be... Read More
Paul Skenes - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Analysis (Week 7)
PROSPECT: Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates ERIC CROSS' LATEST PROSPECT STASH RANKING: #3 CALL-UP ETA: May ANALYSIS: Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitching prospect Paul Skenes has been lighting up Triple-A and is on the verge of making his major league debut. The former number-one overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft has posted an incredible 0.39... Read More
Coby Mayo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Analysis (Week 7)
PROSPECT: Coby Mayo, 3B, Baltimore Orioles ERIC CROSS' LATEST PROSPECT STASH RANKING: #5 CALL-UP ETA: May ANALYSIS: Baltimore Orioles third base prospect Coby Mayo has been one of the best power hitters in the minor league this season and is nearing his major league debut. With Triple-A Norfolk, Mayo has posted a .313/.376/.642 line with... Read More
Connor Wong- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 14+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 29% of Leagues ANALYSIS: Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong has been one of the most surprising players at the plate this season. Wong is currently hitting .346 with five HRs, 14 RBI, and three doubles in 23 games. This comes after a year in which the 27-year-old ended with a .235... Read More
Slade Cecconi- Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 11% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: The Arizona Diamondbacks have had to lean on pitcher Slade Cecconi earlier than they expected to this season due to the injuries of Merrill Kelly (shoulder) and Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder). Nonetheless, Cecconi has shown some positive things on the mound for the Diamondbacks... Read More
Erick Fedde- Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues ROSTERED IN: 45% of Yahoo Leagues ANALYSIS: Chicago White Sox pitcher Erick Fedde signed a two-year, $15 million deal this offseason after spending the 2023 campaign in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Fedde was almost untouchable on the mound in that league last year and won the equivalent of... Read More
Kyle Manzardo - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)
BALLER MOVE: Stash in All Leagues LATEST PROSPECT RANKING: No. 4 CALL-UP ETA: May UPDATE: Kyle Manzardo is expected to be called up by the Guardians on Monday May 6th with Steven Kwan hitting the IL. ANALYSIS: The only thing stopping Kyle Manzardo from getting called up to the major leagues is probably the lack of a... Read More
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!
